The president’s decision to withhold military aid amid concerns of political motivations has spooked officials in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s top leaders have become deeply concerned about President Donald Trump’s yet unexplained decision to withhold a key form of military support as they face off against Russian aggression, fearing the move that has wrought intense scrutiny from Congress may signal a broader White House retreat.

“It does cause concern among top leadership in charge of national security,” Orysia Lutsevych, manager of Chatham House’s Ukraine Forum, says from Kyiv. Officials familiar with the situation in Ukraine have echoed the concerns but declined to speak publicly to avoid further inflaming the already precarious situation.

WNU Editor: Ukraine does not have a good history with President Trump, and one that President Trump has been more than eager to point out in the past …. Clinton-Ukraine collusion allegations ‘big’ and ‘incredible,’ will be reviewed, Trump says (FOX News). As to this withholding of military funds. I see this as a message being sent to Ukraine to expedite peace talks as well as a signal that the U.S. is retreating from its commitments to Ukraine, not as an act to influence the 2020 election.